In the make any difference of rap artist Kanye West’s presidential campaign, the two storylines that most preoccupy the media are, a) Is he mad? and b) Is this all a Republican plot to drain black votes away from Joe Biden?
But there’s a third question that could be questioned: Does West have one thing important to say?
To answer that question, we may well take into account his presidential campaign platform, which he unveiled on August 9. Appropriate absent, the title grabs one’s interest: “Creating a Tradition of Existence.” That phrase, of study course, is borrowed from the Catholic Church and embraced by the Ideal to Existence Motion.
In fact, if one particular experienced to establish a single particular challenge that West seems most concentrated on, it is strengthening the spouse and children in basic and opposing abortion in distinct. As the rapper explained in an interview in October 2019,
Bro, we brainwashed out listed here. Come on . . . this a free of charge guy speaking. Democrats experienced us voting Democrat for many years . . . using the fathers out of the home, Approach B, reducing our votes, building us abort our young children. Gosh, they’re now killed.
It is well acknowledged that, in modern decades, West has undergone a spiritual conversion. He has led a gospel tour of the country, including Sunday expert services in prisons.
That tour also took him, in November 2019, to Joel Osteen’s big Lakewood Church in Houston. In his onstage discussion with Osteen, West appeared both equally faith-oriented and at least considerably political. Standing in entrance of a banner that proclaimed, “Jesus is King,” West started out by stating, “I know that God’s been calling me for a lengthy time, and the devil’s been distracting me for a very long time.”
All right, that is acquainted Sunday stuff, but then West veered into quasi-political product, when he denounced extramarital sexual intercourse and liquor, urging parents to be significant about “protecting your youngsters from the indoctrination of the media.” And then the viewers listened to a clip from his song, “God Is,” which contains the terms, “Jesus brought a revolution.”
We can pause to notice that of all the distinguished mega-preachers, Osteen may appear to be the most apolitical, and nevertheless, in his personal peaceful way, he could establish to be the most innovative. That is, not like most preachers of any race, Osteen enjoys a big, multiracial, viewers.
And from this kind of variety, a person could discover political strength. That is, a political movement centered on homey wisdom—leaving out ideological exotica—that could strike a chord in pink, purple, and even blue America.
So now if we examine the West political platform, we see that it is scarcely a lot more than 400 words—and that’s a sharp contrast with the Democratic and Republican platforms, which operate into the tens of 1000’s of text. As these, couple of persons basically go through the significant-party platforms in truth, most of individuals interested in the platforms, are focused only on the language that worries “their” problem, heedless of the total engorgement of the doc. As these types of, around the many years, the big get together platforms have sedimented into a repetitive jumble of jargon.
By distinction, West’s platform is very clear, concise, and meant to be read—or, who knows, maybe rapped. In fact, because it’s so temporary, in its 10, er, commandments, it is value seeing in its entirety. And as we can see, in addition to primarily heart-correct prescriptions about personal values and societal verities—each one anchored in a Bible verse—the West system contains, in details 4 and 8, quite particular adjurations towards “foreign quagmires” and army “aggression”:
- Restore faith and revive our Constitutional dedication to independence of religion and the absolutely free workout of one’s religion, shown by restoring prayer in the classroom together with religious foundations.
“We will not hide the truth of the matter from our kids, but will declare to the upcoming era His praises and question.” Psalm 78:4
- Restore the sound nationwide economic system. Minimize domestic financial debt and university student financial loan credit card debt.
“God has strategies to give us hope and a long term.” Jeremiah 29:11
- Give management to restructure our country’s education technique to serve the most at-possibility and susceptible populations allowing the widest possible selection of educational and vocational paths to occupation opportunities and occupation results.
“Direct your children on the proper path.” Proverbs 22:6
- Keep a potent countrywide defense, absolutely well prepared, but not so quick to tie up our country’s youthful gentlemen and females in foreign quagmires that do not advance our nationwide interest, and which very last for many years.
“Through God we shall do valiantly.” Psalm 60:12
- Reform the legal technique to supply real justice, equitable for all citizens, irrespective of race or ability to protect oneself in court. Realize the disparity in verdicts and jail sentences, triggered by the absence of monetary resources or authorized assistance.
“There will not be differing weights and differing measures.” Proverbs 20:10
- Reform the approach to policing in a fashion that treats all Us residents the very same, no matter of race, colour, or ethnicity. Refocus law enforcement forces on true criminal offense. Do away with federal sentencing guidelines that tie the arms of judges, resulting in preposterous sentences for the most slight offenses.
“We will communicate for those who can’t speak for by themselves.” Proverbs 31:8
- Take care of the ecosystem, diligently pursuing clear air and h2o as a nationwide protection priority and creating renewables major precedence.
“The previous is forgotten and almost everything can be new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Assure that we usually area Americans’ best fascination first and foremost in dealing with overseas affairs. We have to venture strength, not aggression. We want belief, but we ought to also confirm. We want fair trade, not 1-sided promotions that harm American staff.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be referred to as sons of God.” Matthew 5:9
- Assist religion-centered teams to supply critical neighborhood expert services, providing communities a shared function in govt.
“We will supply ways to inspire one particular a further to acts of like and fantastic will work.” Hebrews 10:24
- Creativeness and the Arts can be an significant resource of innovation and development of other countrywide strengths and sources.
“He has presented them talent in all varieties of get the job done performed.” Exodus 35:35
The place right here is not to argue that West should be president. Right after all, a person who calls his political social gathering “The Birthday Party” may well be judged as missing, shall we say, the requisite seriousness for the write-up. And of system, numerous of his utterances might disqualify him in the minds of several, this kind of as his on-air declaration, in 2005, that “George Bush does not care about black men and women.” Also, who can overlook his onstage antics that led Barack Obama to get in touch with him “a jackass”—twice.
In fact, it’s not tricky to uncover a long list of West’s responses that would be considered out of bounds, and who understands what else journalistic diggers, and opposition scientists, would uncover.
In addition, of course, there is the situation that he has by no means been elected to anything—and the presidency is almost certainly not the ideal place for a novice politician to start his occupation. (On the other hand, 6 presidents, which includes the incumbent, did, in fact, occur to the White House with no prior elective experience.)
We can further notice that a hefty reliance on the Bible as a system is not always a formulation for political usefulness. For occasion, there’s the notorious circumstance of W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel, which supplies an object lesson in what one particular does not want in an elected chief. O’Daniel was a Texas place singer and biscuit pitchman who was so well-liked on the radio that he ran for governor in 1938 his platform was the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule. He won in a landslide, and later, in 1941, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. But his act soon wore slim, forcing him into retirement. Historians regard him as a person of the worst-at any time Texas business office-holders.
But if we ease up on the political calculations, we may phase back and admire the cultural and social artistry of West, a guy who pledges a kinder and gentler The usa. He’s a man who seeks an America exactly where mom and dad enjoy their children—including their unborn children—and exactly where international coverage is about defense, not offense.
He’s a guy, also, who speaks in language that crosses racial lines—indeed, a guy whose really own family (he is married to Kim Kardashian) transcends racial classes.
West may well never get to the White House as something other than a guest. Nonetheless, he’s providing anything treasured: Hope.
